Dirty Little Secrets
by vatic
Summary: RattrapDinobot centred fic. Unraveling all those dirty little secrets. While on a mission together things go desperately wrong.. Slightly AU, rated teen for possible language.
1. Chapter 1, One More Lie

// Author Notes:

First thing, yes, Beast wars and Transeformers belong to me. Serious business.

Second, Rattrap's Japanese name is Rattle – Also, wiki stats (love for wiki) Rattrap is Ransack. How.. ammusing? Oooh-ho-ho.

Third, This writing is none linear. In other words if you can't piece together things you might not get it. This may be the first chapter but it is not the first segment. Understand? Might I explain further, I write usually in a scattered timeline. Seen KillBill? Like that.

Fourth, suggestion gives way that Dinobot did survive. Don't bitch at me for OOCness because in contrast with whats happened over the years I can damn well absolutely see these actions. MIND EXPANDING. Horay for the use of your mind.

Fifth, if you believed the first addressed you're pretty stupid.

Enjooooy children//

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**Dirty Little Secrets**  
Chapter one. One more lie. 

His body hit the ground, cornered in the back of an ally; boy did this bring back memories. Nothing really changed did it? A shift of who held power; it kept going back and forth and he'd withdrawn from the battle long ago for his own pursuit. Still, sometimes good old nostalgia had him partaking in stupid self assigned missions that got him in situations like this – surrounded by a dozen vehicons. A long sigh, well.. this was it. He was weaponless even if he'd regained his mobility and form over the years, after strong pursuit he was out of ammo anyways. Dying in the back of an ally, how typically suiting.

As they came in, and Rattrap was completely sure one hundred percent that finally at long last this was definitely the end of him, yet again the small mech was proven wrong. Between polished silver fingers red optics peered at a large mech who came from who knew where; he was too worried with hiding behind his fingers like that would make his death less painful or somethin'. Optics ran over the larger bot.. he looked.. so familiar.

Little by little he rose, "Hey eh.."

"Go, There will be more coming."

The rat almost dropped right than, right there. End life. An electrical torrent bolted through him like lightening, through his head down to his toes when that voice rose – one so foreign to his ears. His optics looked down to that rotating serrated blade, up to the blue face that was half canted over a broad shoulder just enough for him to see the faintest toothy smirk. How.. did he..? Of course there was differences but, that voice.. that weapon. There was no doubt.

Rattrap stood there dumbfounded for the first time in so long watching the warrior walk away without another word. Slowly he canted his head to the door.. somehow entering this place suddenly became really difficult.

One more lie. Just one more lie.

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So his memory was blown? That was why he disappeared without a trace almost a decacycle. It was what everyone figured at any rate. A strange desire always fueled the rat to find the truth, for once in his fucking life – the truth; the truth was something funny wasn't it? And so here came that big old question that every form whether mechanical, organic or something else asked themselves at one point or another and usually when they were at the pit – like he ever really wasn't to begin with – what was the truth now a days? It seemed to go in circles over one's lifecycle; at least this was the case for the rat.

Now in a small area of Cybertron, dirt cheap more like. It was where he always was and after all, he was a rat. No affiliation, he was a free agent so they called him. More like a washed out mech reaching the end, or just really hoping the end would come soon because by the matrix for how many times he wailed that everyone was all going to die he sure proved that wrong.

Getting back to the truth though, if you asked a good few decacycles ago the truth would have been different than what it was now, maybe five decacycles ago it would have been different from before and present day. Did Rattrap, Rattle, Ransack whatever the fuck you wanted to call him, did he ever know the truth? At one point.. you could say he did. Long, long ago he stumbled across it one moment too late as usual. It was standing right in front of him just moments ago and he let it go. He let it walk away; lied to himself one more time just for memories sake.

"Hey Rattle, you're looking pretty glum chum," up came the voice of one of them femmebots who sadly knew him more than he knew himself at the current moment.

Red optics shifted to the one who hopped up 'pon the bar table in front of him, "Ya think?"

"Well than," and had some interest in him for whatever reason, "spill it out sugabot, its no good keeping everything all locked away you know."

This would have been more entertaining maybe a light-year or two ago, now it was tedious, dirty. He didn't even know why he came here anymore. Nostalgia maybe, he'd been doing a lot of that. Nevertheless the small mech got up from little wedge between seat and femmebot placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, "things you wouldn't understand."

"You leavin' so early?"

"Got plans elsewheres," he moved towards the door.

_You should thank him Rattrap._


	2. Chapter 2, Disaster Struck

Lol Beast Wars is mine for sure.  
Chapter back tracked, you'll see.

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**Dirty Little Secrets**  
Chapter two, Disaster Struck 

Red optics looked up at the ceiling, the small body was at the back of his room up on his bed curled into a corner like a rat. Convenient wasn't it? His fist slowly balled; never been so scared in his life, and it wasn't because his life was in danger that scared him. That fact was truly frightening all on its own.

So what happened back there? Well he wish he could tell ya but the fact was simply Rattrap didn't know himself. He really didn't wanna think about it, didn't have much choice though. Sittin' here alone in his room kickin' about a few pred pieces s'a real fun time ya know, but he couldn't bring himself to do much else right now. He'd never been in a situation he couldn't rat his was out of. This really got 'em, really got 'em good 'n there was no denying it even though he'd try his best. Sooner or later it would all come out, and what happens after that well he didn't wanna think of that either. 'Till than, Rattrap stayed in his room with the door locked just starin' at the ceilin'.

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"Anything?" Optimus asked transforming back in to beast mode as he came off the plank.

"Nope," Rhinox turned around from his work, "He's incredible unstable, I'm surprised his spark is still online."

Primus stopped once he got in front of the central control station's table with a heavy sigh; leaning against the monitor table he slowly rubbed his forehead, "And Rattrap?"

Rhinox could only shake his head going back to the screen at hand, "I spotted him in here when I had to leave for a nanoclick, heard him cursing to himself and the chamber but other than that he hasn't said a word."

The gorilla slowly frowned. It had been three days since he sent them on that mission. It was in sector twelve a dangerous zone, but he was confident that Dinobot and Rattrap could handle it; both had what was needed for the job. The outcome however was very unexpected.

"I have a feeling though," Optimus's head rose as the Rhino's voice came up again, "whatever it was.. it was something bad. Real bad."

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Flash back

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Tiny feet moved over broken rock surrounded by lava. Rattrap hated sector twelve, it was like a death sentence. So of course Optimus would assign him to such a dangerous mission and of course it would be in sector twelve. Oh, but oh just wait a nano because it got better. You hear that? Yeah, that's the sound of a big ol' dino-pain-in-the-butt bitching about something like he always was. Eh, okay so the lizard wasn't so bad Rattrap would admit – only to himself of course – but after being stuck out here with him for a few megacycles the rat really needed something to convince him otherwise.

It was when suddenly the casual combat of insults between rat and raptor came to a halt that Rattrap looked back, "what's stoppin yer gears choppaface? We only got a few more to set up."

"Be silent rodent, there a.." The velociraptor rose his head, "malignant up drift about," and his voice dropped lowly, "something's not right."

Malignant, who uses that kinda word in a sentence? Rattrap rolled his eyes, "course there's something 'malignant' 'bout the place," his speech in mocking tone, "We're in a lava pit if ya haven't noticed dinobutt."

"You ignorant fool," optics glared as he snarled back, "have you not a single danger sensor in that vile system of yours?" Dinobot growled once more spoken through gritted teeth as he transformed scanning the area.

"Hey Mista," Slowly the rat's body turned about to carry on his sentence but let it drift. Dinobot wasn't kidding, he obviously felt something Rattrap was missing.

His head canted about, "hey eh.. choppaface I think your," his sentence was again dropped when his mech fluid ran cold, a shiver slicing down his spinal system in torrents like he'd never felt before.

Quickly Rattrap transformed and began moving back from the unstable rock and on to more firm ground by the other bot. Where was it? What was it? The grip on his gun tightened as it rose, held out in position to shoot whatever it was that was out there. There was no sight of anything anywhere but that feeling couldn't be shaken.

"Wh- what is" he hissed looking up, oh boy.. that was some awfully large shadow covering them.

"Turn around and shoot you incompetent rat!" - Green optic lasers shot as Rattrap turned around and began to shoot as he backed away, there was no way in hell they were going to take down this.. thing! It was huge.

"Run!"

For once Rattrap had no complaints about following Dinobots orders. He turn and ran, ran as fast as his little body could carry him and it was damn luck they didn't get vaped on the way behind a big ol' rock like it would really do anything against a monster _that _size. It didn't take long for their bolder to be blasted to smithereens. Turning around, Rattrap gave it a few more shots as Dinobot tried reporting to the base for back-up. No good though of course, too much interference.

"Oh man, we're really gunna die this time," the rat spoke swerving from the large beams being shot a little too late, his gun was shot out of hand. Quickly he tried to head for cover but all boulders were blown to its before either could get to them, they were cornered.

"I've got cybernetic bombs, they might do something if you can distract it," Rattrap explained hitting the back of a large hill.

"He's not that stupid, he'll knock you out piece by piece."

"Well what choice do we got lizard lips, you gotta better idea? He's commin in range, our fire power's doin' notta and the comlinks are down. We're trapped, and who is this anyways? Where in the galaxy did he come from?"

Couldn't even make out its form, just a big ass black robot. It was massive, bigger than Megatron times twenty. He tried the links again, nothing but static, and what timing! They were going to die, this was it. He was going to die here beside choppaface of all places for his life to finally come to its end. There was so much garbage to munch, so many holes to dig, it couldn't end now, it couldn't end!

"Vortex."

That name snapped him out of his internal panic. Vor..tex? You mean that big ol' sadistic decepticon who lived and rampaged millions a stellarcycles ago? That.. holy swiss cheese it was here.

A scream of defeat, "there's no where to run! We're gunna die! WE'RE GUNA—EH!?"

In midst of panic his body was lifted thrown up to the top of the cliff, "shut up and run vermin." Was all he could hear.

Time seemed to stop as the small mech hit the top of the cliffs plank. One big ass blast after another, the cliff crumbling in each one's wake and he backing up further but just close enough to see what was going on. His processor felt like it was going to overheat, weak in the knee's and helpless as he watched the two battle – Dinobot was obviously fighting a battle he just could not win. There was no way anyone could have understood what Rattrap was thinking in those few moments, some would say he wasn't thinking at all but he begged to differ because it was than Rattrap did something he never thought he'd do ever in a thousand stellarcycles. He took a dive right in to death's face back down below, quickly grabbing the larger bot and rolling both their bodies between the large feet of the decepticon incarnate. This might, just might buy them some time Rattrap hoped, but when his optics fell to the comrade below he knew that was unlikely.

"You.." vocal systems weak and squabbled, "idiot you,"

"Can it lizard head," he ducked from a blast seeing the large mech slowly turn. There wasn't much time, they needed to get to shelter somehow.

Getting up he grabbed under the Dino's shoulders but he didn't stay up too much longer, another blast knocked him back quite a ways with a screech almost sinking into the lava pit. He wouldn't give up that easily though and forcing himself to his feet with a shake of his head he stood back up heading over to the side of.. wait to the side of? How the?

"Lets go," Dinobot pressed out weakly forging his way towards a small cubby, a hidden nook that was created by the crumbled cliff. It wouldn't give them much but they might be able to come up with a plan, maybe.

"Oh yessir Mr invinsabot," the rat was immaturely responding, in truth he didn't know how the other bot did it time and time again. Somehow he kept going, for some reason he kept fighting, "tellin me te ru" He was shot down just inches away, everything went black.

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He couldn't tell how long he was out but slowly sound began to register with his system, gradually optical sensors came back online; a faded and blurry picture of someone a few inches above. As his optics refocused he could tell who it was and just how much damage was done. Eyes widened, a gasp emitted screeching from his vocal drives - It felt like his spark just dropped to his little metal toes seeing that face, that body _that_ slagged… and still fighting.

"Try and contact the base again," Rattrap could hardly make out the words from the glitches noise, voice coding depleted to a monotone warped in sound. "Do it you insufferable rat."

"What'ya think yer doin' ya slag'o'saurus," by the tone of his voice it was obvious he was frightened beyond computing, "get-get offa me."

"Saving your life you pathetic, ungrateful rodent now," another hit to his back sent him flat against the one below, "contact," but he would slowly rise again, "the base."

"R-rat-t-trap to.. any.. anybody.." That look in those crimson optics, they were starting to fade. Why was Dinobot doing this? His fingers fumbled tapping the comlink again, "any..anybody.. track my signal.. code red.. s-s-situ-ati-" Another hit, the heavier mech's head knocking against his shoulder plate and almost sent his spark clear through his chest plate, "situation we're gunna die get your skidplates over here pronto!"

It seemed like forever, and he didn't even realize when the attacks stopped. Honestly he didn't care. Metal digits shaking; rose between their scrapped bodies, Dinobot never knew when to give up did he? Obviously not, he was still tryin' to rise without any help even though it'd gone way past the point where the smaller mech's arms – bent in and forearms up vertical – was the only thing really keeping his body half up. He couldn't see the damage done to the rest of the raptors body, with the look of what he could see he really didn't want to.

"Don't look at me like that." Thank the matrix, he broke the silence.

"Come off'a it you overgrown lizard, I aint gotta choice yer the one a'top a me."

"Pestilent vermin, your optics say pity mouse. Stop looking at me that way."

'_They aint sayin pity fossil face.. they aint sayin pity.'_ Rattrap couldn't react, he'd never been in a situation like this either. Boy he sure was learning new things today. He didn't know what to say or what to do so he'd do what was typical of him, "you're always so hard headed ya scale belly! Stop talkin' or you're gunna short out the rest of yer energy supply." It was said flawlessly even though he couldn't stop shaking and with each moment he'd swear his processor was going to blow out, he'd swear it, "get back in to beast mode"

The silence even if it was for a few nanoclick was excruciating, for a moment there it looked like the raptors system shutdown, "Why did you come back down after me?"

It clicked, Rattrap got the message between the words. They were talking to keep the silence from saying what both always avoided saying. In a moment like this where either's system could short out things avoided or, this covered by lies just might surface. Strategic babble to hush the silence.

"You got bugs in your ear sockets lizard lips?" He knew by that short moment that there wasn't enough energy left to even convert back to beast mode. Dinobot's systems were running on next to nothing but pure will – something he'd never seen before in all his days and believe it or not Rattrap was a lot older than one would think. He'd pretend he was oblivious though even still, "Your systems are failing, get your scaly butt back to beast mode."

"Why did you jump back down?"

Dinobot didn't know how to handle a situation like this either for in all of his days not once had he ever met someone quite like this rat below. He didn't understand it, it wasn't in his programming to pay attention to such trivial things like emotion but that tricky little pest somehow infiltrated his system; pays off being a hacker sometimes. However, while it seemed like he was just dumbfounded to those sorts of things he actually wasn't, and it seemed for once they'd override his logic; he knew the answer to his question but kept asking anyway. And Rattrap knew Dinobot better than people thought, he knew Dinobot was a fighter, a warrior, and stubborn to boot. He'd off and lie all the time and make it seem that beyond a small level of acquaintance it was childish rivalry rooted from boredom – that maybe a small spark of friendship was there because without the other there'd be no one to yell at and maybe at one time it was true but it really wasn't, wasn't true at all. They weren't so different though neither would ever owe up to this truth.

"because," angrily he balled his fist around the sides of charred metal that they were supporting, "because.. I love ya ye slaggin' metallic fossil," His body was getting heavy, he was going into stasis lock, "so don't you die on me choppa'face ya hear me!?"

But Rattrap wasn't lucky; must have been the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt when his arms couldn't hold the other up any longer and Dinobot became deadweight against him. The sound of his system shutting down riveted through his ears and he had to force his optics away turning his head in disbelief. He couldn't even really register any thought on why Vortex fled, didn't notice when the backup came either. Maybe he was in stasis lock too, maybe he just kinda wanted to die.

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// Author Notes: Here's to hint Vortex somehow came back? Startling isn't it? While I'm someone who likes intricate plot complexities and 'easter eggs', Vortex really doesn't have much of a purpose other than to do what he did here. If you **must** find a reason for his coming back we can say Megatron somehow brought him back to further their end the beast wars and claim dominence over everything and lawl woops good ol' RT and Dinobot were oh so conveniently in the wrong place at the wrong time. // 


	3. Chapter 3, Old Friends

Still owning beast wars. lul.

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**Dirty Little Secrets**  
Chapter three, old Friends.

A heavy sigh as the small mech crawled from his corner and took a stand. Inch by inch forcing his body to move out to the hall of the Avalon and towards the control center, they kept him there as he needed to be under surveillance 24/7. It was late night you could tell, but good old Rhinox was still at the job.

One foot moved passed the opening, "eh, how's he commin' along?"

His long time friend finished up a few tweaks before he turned to the other by the door who was leaning on the frame feet and arms crossed like he'd usually do only his head turned down staring at the floor. Whatever happened back there almost a week ago now.. it wasn't just scraping was it? There was much more too it Rhinox could tell, after all they were best friends. He knew Rattrap well the good and the bad of him, and this just wasn't like him to be so down for so long of a time.

"His exterior took a big hit but its slowly being repaired, it's the inside of his system that's unstable still," He paused watching his small friend move forward. "We'll get him back online Rattrap, you know him he's not going to give up that easily."

"Yeah.. guess I do," was commented much later as he stopped at the chamber that held the other bot.

He could only see his face, a flash of those fading eyes and that garbled voice. Rattrap still kind of didn't want to believe everything that happened; just wanted to believe they were friends and that was it, but even if he said nothing the silence shared in those few close moments spoke loudly enough. He couldn't take any of it back either, if he were lucky maybe the raptor wouldn't remember. Rattrap was never lucky though as much as it may have seemed like he were. All of his 'by luck' spoofs was just clever talented underhandmanship or in other words - typical rat response.

"I didn't need no damn savin'," he broke the silence, "but he forged in like the 'warrior' he is needin' ta be the tough guy."

Rhinox much like everyone else didn't know who or what they ran in to, but he knew one thing and it was apparent to everyone, "he saved your life Rattrap."

"an' I didn't need it I said," Childishly protesting like he always did turning to the one in the chair just a few specs away, "by some stinkin' pred, I could'a made it out."

His voice emphasized the predicon threat like it really meant something after this long of a time. It was an old stab, an old wound, but he'd keep stabbing it for some reason or another. Sure Rattrap could have made it, he was a rat after all. No.. It was all a lie. He knew it and Rhinox knew it. There was no way Rattrap would have gotten out of there if it weren't for Dinobot. Wouldn't matter what he pulled no clever trickery would have saved him from Vortex. He kept fighting none the less just like Dinobot was doing right now because when it came down to it they weren't too different.. or maybe it was that their similarities were different. Whichever, Rattraps past wasn't an easy thing to swallow, Rattraps life wasn't an easy thing to swallow. Who he was, how he was.. Rhinox knew; as much good there was much bad. He wasn't so clean, but hey.. he was a rat.

"Don't you be lookin' at me like that big guy," optics narrowed, again Rhinox sighed.

"Don't know why you fight it."

"Wha- don't know why I, aaaah!" the rats voice just ended up screeching in frustration, "what do ya mean you don't know why? You loose a few bolts in da head?"

He moved forward towards the one who'd stopped his work in an attempt to widdle out something from the smaller mech. It wasn't like Rhinox but Rattrap wasn't going to say a thing unless it was pushed out and everyone's circuits were all in a bunch because of the silence.

A finger prodded the broad chest plate as that rat-like face drew in, "you fergettin' somethin' Rhinox?"

That was not the question he was expecting, "all the more reason to question why you're acting this way Rattrap. It ran in your system long ago just the same and its not going to stop haunting you until you accept it."

Rattrap breathed a sigh lowering his head before he backed away, "ya know... you really frustrate me sometimes. Old pal."

"Denial's not going to get you far Rattrap and you know it."

He walked away anyways. They didn't have conversations like that often but when it came up it always ended the same way. Rattrap seemed to think denying those dirty little secrets of his was going to make it less true, he'd been doing it for years.

"You're both the same you know," Rattrap stopped turning his head, "You've never told the truth a day in your life have you Ransack?"

Rattrap moved on not even about to comment on that. There wasn't any wit to be dealt to the truth but he said something half way down the hall, "You're wrong dozahead."

Dinobot didn't lie.


End file.
